Codes and Keys

I have a weird interpretation of this song. I feel like in the verse he is basically saying that their relationship has run it's course, and that trying to keep it alive is pointless. The air is thinning with each word they speak possibly because words that they say can't resolve the situation, and only result in a lack of air-it hurts both of them even more.

Codes and keys may be a reference to staying isolated and locked up...so she stays locked up emotionally in order to protect herself. Maybe he has moved on, and she finds that staying guarded and away from them will protect her from the inevitable jealousy she will feel when she sees them together.

The last part was kind of difficult for me to understand at first. I agree that when she screams and sees love it means that when she decides to lose her guard and just let her emotions out, she sees the love that they once had, which makes her scream in sadness or agony. After this, he is saying that children throw rocks at the sky, but being children, they can only throw so far. The stones come back to earth rather quickly. Minor chords of major works could possibly be saying that their relationship will have little effect on her once she moves on, and that this time in her life is just a small part of the bigger picture. He connects her screaming to throwing rocks at the sky, so maybe he is trying to tell her that the pain will go away soon.

I don't know..that's just what I think it means hahaa it might not make sense.

I wonder if the "codes and keys" reference has to do with the utilization of technology as a way of "protecting" oneself "from the pangs of jealousy." Both Ben and Zooey are pretty active on twitter, and perhaps he was drawing inspiration from the evolving world of social networking - you can throw up walls and pretend to be someone that you're not, putting up the front that everything is okay when it's actually the exact opposite. The album art also has a "hashtag" (pound sign) on the cover, so that might also tie into the theme as well.

It's about how we use use culture, intelligence, art and technology to deal with, and separate us from, the difficult reality of our emotional lives. Experiences go from being keenly felt to being reinterpreted by artists as music, worlds, television, etc. This helps the artists separate consume and separate themselves from the events. The person who views, consumes or appreciates the art experiences these emotions at a safe distance, instead of going out and experiencing these things first hard. All our lives become a practice of communicating via feelings and opinions that we have recycled from the art we have be exposed to, a sort of strange common language that leaves us both eloquent and mute.

I agree with you, marjon, I think she locks herself up, and now he's trying to reassure her that he'll protect her when she's ready to face the world.

I agree.

Maybe the girl is a bit shut down, and he's trying to get across to her. Telling her she's alive. She sounds tormented. But he loves her. She's the one.

And to him it is all about 'you and me'. Because they're one.

I think this song is about two people who have grown apart and they're now just "flying circles inside a jar". When he says, "The air we breathe is thinning with the words that we speak," I think he means that they are both choking in the relationship and are unable to breathe.

In the second verse, she locks herself up (possibly metaphorically) to protect her heart from the "pangs of jealousy". Maybe he is seeing someone else, or maybe she is just too hurt to go on.

The 3rd verse explains the frustration of it all. I see "when you scream" as her clearing her head. When that happens, she's able to see the love she used to have. "Like a child throwing stones at the sky when they fall back to Earth as minor chords of major works" is a metaphor for throwing their love away, but as gravity pulls the stone back to Earth, the love she threw away keeps coming back to her. And even though it's a tiny stone, it's still part of the big picture and may affect the outcome of the rest of her life (the major work).

I don't think she finds resolve in the end, but even though they are apart, they are one because they're still breathing air from the same "jar". They realize it's beautiful because even though they lead separate lives and sleep in different rooms, they are still alive. The connection isn't lost. It can work again.

I love you Albinka...

To me this song is about music and the haven it provides the people who write it, perform it, and listen to it. The "codes and keys" are the messages we find in the songs. Music is so real sometimes, that it lets us forget what is real to us, or it helps us deal with it. Especially to songwriters.

Maybe it's about both of them facing the world. But who protects who when the codes and keys cannot. is he who protects her, or she protects him. who pushes the first one out into the world. Do they go out together? I agree with risearise, they are definately One. "you and me" "we are one, we are alive"

but the part that confuses me is "seperate rooms of single life"

What a beautiful song. Codes and Keys..hmm. What to amke of that line, the song and considering thats the title of the album it's obviously meaningful to Ben G.

Fear, jealousy and single life are all referenced. Thats what the song is about to me.

Feeling life is too good to be true.

This song hits home for me.

I'm agoraphobic and my relationship with my boyfriend of three years ended because we grew distant. I feel exactly like this.

I cry when I listen to this, but I have it on repeat because it's so beautiful.

Death Cab for Cutie doesn't let you down! :D